Catching and delivering apparatus for mail-pouches.



J. L. WARE. GATGHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS FOR MAIL POUGHES.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 30, 1909.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

BEETS-SHEET l.

J. L. WARE. GATOHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS r011 MAIL rouonns. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1909. 942,762. Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

3 BHE-ETS-SHEET 2.

W41 hwowo J. L. WARE. GATOHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS FOR MAIL POUGHES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 1909.

942, 762,, Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

'UNTED STATS PTE @FFTQE.

JAMES L. WARE, OF TERRY, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 AMBROSE E. OBBIEN, OF TERRY, MISSISSIPPI.

CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS FOR IVLAIL-POUGHES.

Application filed June 30, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. l/VARE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Torry, in the county of Hinds and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Catching and Delivering Apparatus for Mail-Pouches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for delivering and catching mail pouches at stations, and particularly to that class of apparatus wherein a crane is employed on the car and at the station, whereby the mail pouches shall be mutually received and delivered from the car and station.

The object of the invention is to provide a device whereby the mail pouches may be suspended from the car or from the train and be delivered from the car or station as the train passes the station, the crane automatically falling upon the mutual receipt and delivery of the mail pouch.

The invention consists in the arrangement of the parts and details of construction set forth in the accompanying specification and more particularly stated in the claims appended.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a track, a mail car advancing there on, and a station crane with the pouch sup ported therefrom; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the car and station crane; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing the catching and receiving members on the car and station cranes, reversed in position; Fig. at is a fragmentary side elevation of the car, the car crane and station crane being shown in section, and illustrating the position of the parts at the moment the car pouch has been delivered to the station crane and the car crane is about to receive the station pouch; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of the car, showing the car crane in a vertical position; and, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the car crane detached.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. "2, 199%.

Serial No. 505,196.

in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a track, and B a car thereupon having the usual side opening C. This car, in the description, is supposed to be moving in the direction of the arrow X.

Referring now to the crane at the station, 2 designates a standard of any desired or convenient height, having hinged to its up per end the transversely extending cross arm 3. This arm should be so hinged to the standard 2 that it will normally remain in a position close against the standard 2, and in order to hold the arm in its raised or elevated position, I provide upon the standard, the plate 4t having the angularly projecting lug 5, while the upper face of the arm 3 is provided with the pivoted latch bar 6, the outer end of which is adapted to extend beneath the lug 5 and in this position to hold the arm 3 raised as shown in Fig. 1. The latch bar 6 is pivoted at 7, and at its outer end is upwardly turned and reduced as at 8 for a purpose to be later described. The arm 3 at this point is cut away as at 9.

Projecting from each edge of the arm 3 are the pairs of pins 10 10' from which the pouch hanger is to be supported, as will be later described. Pivotally attached to the under side of the arm is a pouch-receiving bar 11 which is upwardly turned to form a hook 12 at its outer end. The pivot of this arm is indicated by the numeral 13. Pivotally supported on either side of the standard 2 are the rods 14: Whose outer ends are angularly bent as at 15. These rods act as pivoted Weights for holding the pouch in place upon the crane against the force of wind or accidental derangement. They may be put in use or not, as circumstances dictate.

Supported in bearings on the inside of the car A is the rotatable shaft 16 carrying at its end the right angularly extending arm 17. The inner end of this arm is provided with a handle 18, and the outer end carries the pivoted cross bar 19. This bar is located upon the upper face of the arm 17 and is pivoted thereto at 20 in any desired manner. Attached to the cross bar 19, and rotatable therewith, is the outwardly projecting receiving bar 22 which at its end is turned up.

ward to form a hook 23. This bar is preferably formed in one piece with a transverse plate 24 which is attached to or formed 1n one piece with the crosspiece 19 and has at its ends the inwardly projecting lugs 25, these lugs being spaced apart just sulficiently toreceive between them the rods of the pouch hanger, as will be later described. Upon the upper face of the cross bar 19 are the pivoted fingers 26 which are so mounted that they may be turned inward toward the ends of the crosspiece l9, and are in this position adapted to hold the pouch hanger in place. Attached to the under side of the arm 17 is the flat spring plate 27 which is so mounted upon the arm that it may be rotated from one position to' an opposite position so that mail may be delivered when the car is running in either direction.

It will be seen that the receiving bar 22 projects rearward beyond the edge of the cross bar 19, and that the spring plate 27 likewise projects beyond the cross bar in registry with the butt end 22 of the receiving bar 22, but spaced therefrom. This space between the butt end of the receiving bar and the spring plate 27 is adapted to receive the cross bar of a pouch hanger and support the same in position as shown in Fig. 1, wherein it may be caught by the catching device on the station crane.

The hangers for the pouch consist of a rectangular loop of metal having the two opposed cross bars 28 and the downwardly extending side rods 29. The pouch D is to be attached to the lowest cross bar in any desired manner, as by straps or cords in the position shown in the drawings, and the upper cross bar 28 is provided with the tripping hook 30, this tripping hook being formed wit-h an eye 31, at one end, which loosely surrounds the cross bar 28, thereby permitting the hook to be shifted on the cross bar. The side bars 29 are spaced just sufliciently apart that the hanger may be placed over the pair of pins 10 or 10 on the out-standing arm of the station crane and that the hanger may be received between the lugs 25 on the car crane. When the hanger is placed upon the station crane and extends over the pins 10 and 10', as before stated, the hook 30 is engaged with the reduced end 8 of the latch bar 6. When, how ever, the hanger is placed upon the car crane, the hook is unused and the cross bar 28 is placed between the spring plate 27 and the butt end 22 of the receiving bar, the pouch being placed beneath the spring plate. When in this position, it will be seen that the hanger is supported with its bars 29 upwardly extending above the cross bar 19. It is held in this position against chance of derangement through the movement of the car or the wind of the passage by means of the fingers 26 which are turned so as to clamp the bars 29 against the crosspiece 19, in the position shown in Fig. 1.

With the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, the operation of the device will be obvious. The station pouch will be hung upon. that side of the crane arm 3 away from the approaching train, and of course the car pouch will be supported on the cross bar 19 011 the side away from the station which the train is approaching. As the car reaches the station, the receiving bar 22 will pass into the station pouch hanger, 'while the receiving bar 11 will pass into the car pouch hanger. As the cross arm 3 engages with the car pouch, the pouch will be thrown down and the hanger drawn from its engagement with the spring plate 27, while the fingers 26 will be opened, thus depositing the bag and its hanger upon the receiving bar 22, as shown in Fig. 4. At the same time, the forward edge of cross bar 19 engages with the sidev bars on the station pouch hanger and draws the hanger forward, the hook of the hanger tripping the latch bar 6, while at the same time, the bag hanger is drawn off onto the receiving bar 22. As the latch bar 26 is tripped, the crane arm falls, carrying with it the just received pouch. The car crane arm 17 may now be turned to carry inward the pouch that is just received by the car crane. It will be obvious that .if the train is to come in an opposite direction, the receiving bar 11 011 the station crane is to be turned on its pivot to a reverse position to that described, in which case of course, the bag will be hung upon the pins 10 in place of the pins 10. The same may be said in regard to the receiving arm 22, the cross bar 19 and the spring plate 27. These are reversed in position rela tively to the car crane, if the car is moving in the opposite direction to that shown.

Where there is considerable wind and danger of the pouch hanger being disarranged or blown from its engagement with the station crane, I lfold the pouch in position by engaging it with one of the weight rods 1%. Of course that weight rod is used whose hooked end extends in a direction toward which the train is moving. This hooked weight rod, while not interfering with the proper delivery of the mail pouch, will hold it securely in position and give it sufiicient weight to prevent its being shifted from the pins 10 or 10 under any reasonable circumstance.

It will be seen that my invention is very simple, easy to manufacture,' and entirely effective in operation. It is automatic in its action, and entirely prevents the wear and tear upon the mail pouches incident to the ordinary construction of mail cranes. None of the shock of removing the mail pouch comes upon the pouch itself, but all is received upon the hangers whereby it is suspended. The parts being pivoted, move easily upon engagement by the train, and hence there is no likelihood of breaking.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a rectangular pouch hanger, of a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus including a projecting cross-bar, a receiving bar projecting at right angles from the cross-bar, means on the cross-bar opposed to the receiving bar for supporting said pouch hanger, and a pivoted latch on the cross-bar holding the pouch hanger in place but permitting it to be withdrawn.

2. A mail pouch catching and delivering apparatus including a stationary standard, a hinged cross bar supported on the standard, a pivoted latch bar engaging to hold the cross bar in raised position, a receiving bar projecting from the cross bar at right angles thereto and having a hooked end, means for supporting a pouch uponthe cross bar, said means engaging with the pivoted latch bar, and means on a car for receiving said pouch and disengaging it from said latch bar, whereby the latch bar will be moved to release the cross bar and allow it to fall.

:3. A mail pouch catching and delivering apparatus including a stationary standard, a hinged cross bar supported on the standard, a lug on the standard, a pivoted latch bar on the cross bar engaging with the lug to hold the cross bar in a raised position, a receiving bar projecting from the cross bar at right angles thereto and having a hooked end, means for supporting a pouch upon said cross bar, said means engaging with the pivoted latch bar, and means on the car for receiving said pouch and disengaging it from the latch bar, whereby the latch bar will be made to release the cross bar and allow it to fall.

4. A pouch catching and delivering apparatus including a stationary standard, a hinged cross bar supported on the standard, a lug on the standard, a pivoted latch bar engaging with the lug in one position to hold the cross bar raised, a receiving bar projecting at right angles to the cross bar and having a hooked end, a pouch hanger attachable to a pouch at one end and having at the other a hook engaging with the pivoted latch, and means on a car adapted to pass through said hanger, whereby the pivoted latch will be turned to deliver the pouch and to permit the cross bar to fall.

5. A mail pouch catching and delivering apparatus including a stationary standard, a cross bar hinged to the upper end of the standard, a lug on the standard, a latch bar pivoted on the cross arm and engaging at one end with said lug, the other end of said latch bar being reduced, a receiving bar projecting at right angles from the cross bar and having a hooked end, a hanger at one end adapted to be attached to a pouch and at'the other provided with a hook, said hook engaging over the reduced end of the latch' bar, pins projecting from the cross bar upon which the hanger is supported, and means on a car for engaging said hanger, thereby turning the latch bar, disengaging the hanger from the latch bar and permitting the cross bar to fall.

6. In a mail pouch catching and delivering apparatus, a stationary crane, a bar hinged therein, a latch bar mounted 011 the arm and engaging with the crane to hold the arm in outward position, pins projecting from the arm, a receiving bar mounted on the arm and projecting in an opposite direction to the said pins, said receiving bar having an upwardly turned end, a pivoted bar on the car extending out into alinement with but beneath the arm on the crane, a

- receiving arm projecting out from said arm in one direction and having a hooked end, means for supporting a pouch upon the other side of said arm away from said receiving bar, and h angers for supporting said pouches, said hangers consisting each. of a rectangularly bent loop of metal, one cross bar of which is adapted to be attached to a pouch, the other cross bar having a pivoted hook thereon adapted to engage with the end of the latch bar on the station crane arm.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a station crane having a standard, an outwardly projecting arm pivoted to the standard, a latch bar pivoted on said arm and engaging with the standard to hold the arm in its raised position, said bar having a reduced end, pins projecting from the arm in one direction, and a receiving bar projecting from the arm in the other direction and having an upwardly turned hooked end, of an arm pivoted on a car but extending outward beneath the crane arm when the train passes the station, said arm upon the crane having thereon a pivoted cross bar carrying a delivery bar projecting in one direction and spaced lugs projecting in the other direction, a spring clamp located between the lugs, pivoted fingers mounted on the cross bar above the lugs, and hangers for the mail pouches comprising a rectangular metal loop, to one end of which the pouch is adapted to be attached, the other end of the loop being formed with a pivoted hook adapted to engage with the extremity of the latch bar on the crane, the last named cross bar being adapted to be received between the resilient clamp on the cross bar of the car delivery arm.

8. A mail pouch receiving and delivering apparatus for railway cars, comprising a cross bar pivoted in the car opening and extending out transversely beyond the car, a pouch receiving bar extending out from said cross bar and having an outwardly turned end, opposed lugs on the cross bar eX- tending oppositely to the receiving bar, a

spring clamp mounted below the cross bar, fingers on the cross bar adapted to be turned against said lugs, and a hanger for support ing the pouch, comprising a rectangular loop of metal adapted to be placed between the two lugs on the cross bar and to be held in place by said fingers, one end of the hanger being adapted to be engaged by said clamp.

9. The combination with a crane for supporting mail pouches, and a hanger for the pouch adapted to be separated upon the train, of a weighted arm pivoted at one end to the crane and having its other end angularly bent to rest upon said pouch and hold it in position.

10. A mail bag catching and delivering apparatus including a stationary standard, a cross-bar supported on the standard, a pivoted latch bar upon the upper face of the cross-bar, a receiving bar projecting from the cross-bar at right angles thereto and having a hooked end, a pouch hanger provided with a hook adapted to engage with the pivoted latch bar, a cross-bar projecting from the car and located on a higher level than the cross-bar on the stationary stand ard, a receiving bar projecting from the cross-bar at right angles thereto having a hooked end, means projecting from the opposed side of the cross-bar for supporting the pouch hanger thereon, and opposed pivoted latches for engaging the hanger to hold it in position on the crossbar.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES L. VARE. [L.S.] \Vitnesses R. M. BONNEY, G. R. BIRDSONG. 

